Local Housing Allowance here
Outer South London rates, 2026–27, a month: shared room £569 · 1 bed £950 · 2 beds £1,200 · 3 beds £1,500 · 4 beds £1,950. The most housing support a tenant on benefits can get here; a guide to the bottom of the market.
Cash in
| Deposit (25% of price) | £93,500 |
| Stamp Duty Land Tax (additional-home rates) | £27,400 |
| Legal fees | £1,800 |
| Survey | £600 |
| Total cash in | £123,300 |
Stamp Duty Land Tax: £27,400
| £0 – £125,000 | 5% | £6,250 |
| £125,000 – £250,000 | 7% | £8,750 |
| £250,000 – £374,000 | 10% | £12,400 |
Additional-home rates, as checked in October 2026. Buying through a company, or replacing your main home, can change this. Stamp duty calculator
A year of letting
| Rent | £19,668 |
| Mortgage payments (interest only, 5% on £280,500) | −£14,025 |
| Voids (5% of rent) | −£983 |
| Letting and management (10% of rent collected) | −£1,868 |
| Repairs and maintenance (8% of rent) | −£1,573 |
| Landlord insurance | −£350 |
| Cash flow before tax | £868 (£72 a month) |
- Gross yield
- 5.3%
- Net yield (before mortgage)
- 4.0%
- Return on cash in
- 0.7%
Will a lender agree?
Lenders usually test the rent against interest at a higher “stress” rate, here 7%. Rent covers it by 125% (basic-rate taxpayers and companies): no; by 145% (higher-rate taxpayers): no. The rent supports a loan of about £224,777 or £193,773. Lenders differ.
- The rent may not pass a typical lender stress test: lenders often want rent to cover interest at 7% by 125%, which caps the loan near £224,777.
All figures are before income tax. Individual landlords cannot deduct mortgage interest in full (they get a 20% tax credit instead), so higher-rate taxpayers pay tax on more than their cash flow. This is a calculator, not financial advice. Read the guide